At Mercy Suburban Hospital Family Practice Center in Norristown, young patients can expect the usual: height, weight, a check of the eyes and ears and yes, probably a shot or two. But thanks to Dr. Michael Becker and a dedicated staff, the children visiting this office will get something more: a literacy-rich experience.

One of our 42 Reach Out and Read Greater Philadelphia Programs, the Mercy Suburban Family Practice Center provides at-risk young children with new, developmentally-appropriate books, and advises parents on how to raise confident, happy readers.

“The point,” says Dr. Becker, “is to make reading a fundamental part of a child’s standard health care by introducing reading as a pleasurable family activity.”

Inspired by the impact ROR made on families, Dr. Becker’s medical students Katherine McKenzie, Dawn Hagley and Ashley Martin took the ROR program one step further: They painted the center’s exam rooms with murals inspired by the books and characters of Dr. Seuss. The result? Now characters such as “Cat in the Hat”, “Thing 1″ and “Thing 2″, help transform a routine doctor’s appointment visit – even the all-too-familiar waiting time — into a literacy-filled experience.

Today, Dr. Becker is the Vice Chairman of Family Medicine at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). For him, the impact of those early days of ROR at Mercy Suburban remains poignant: “I’d give the book at the beginning of the exam, leave the room to get something and when I’d return, the mother or father would be totally involved with their child looking at the book. That is the true goal of the program: to encourage parents to read to their children and inspire a lifetime love of books and reading.”

“The doctor’s office is a unique opportunity to bring reading into a child’s life,” said Dr. Kristen Kucharczuk, Associate Medical Director of Reach Out and Read Greater Philadelphia. “Thanks to Dr. Becker and his team, the Mercy Suburban Hospital Family Practice Center is a showcase for making literacy part of a child’s healthcare.”

“Can I keep it?”

I cannot count how many times I have heard these four words while brandishing a Reach Out and Read book and handing it to one of my little patients. “Really?”, is always the next question they ask, astonished that their doctor is giving them a brand new book for them to take home.

I tell my patients that they can take it home, and that it is very important that they share this book with their parent(s) or older sibling whose job it is to read to them on a daily basis. The inevitable large toothy smile comes next as the little 2, 3, or 4-year-old starts flipping through the book, wide-eyed at the unfamiliar images and words that flow from the book.

This daily exchange is both heartwarming and heart wrenching. The gift of reading and the anticipatory guidance that we give to our families about daily reading have been proven time and again to improve early literacy skills in children participating in Reach Out and Read. The grins of dozens of children that receive books, makes every day that I practice pediatrics, a rewarding one. The astonished looks, the toothy smiles, the sideways glances children give their caregivers as they are promised a new book to take home, belie the literacy poor environments where most of my smallest patients reside.

So I give out books to all my patients, making a small, but extremely meaningful statement of hope and belief.

“Can I keep it?”   Yes, you can. Yes, you can.

Daniel R. Taylor, D.O., FAAP
Assistant Professor Drexel University College of Medicine
Director Community Pediatrics and Child Advocacy
City Administrator Cap4Kids www.cap4kids.org/philadelphia
St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
Philadelphia, PA 19134

“We see some of the most at-risk children in Philadelphia, and our families have some of the poorest literacy skills in the City. When I took this pediatric position at South Philadelphia Pediatrics fresh out of residency at CHOP in July 2006, one of my first priorities was to create a new ROR program at our office. Throughout residency at CHOP I gave children at my continuity clinic ROR books – I couldn’t imagine not continuing this fantastic and worthwhile tradition in my current practice.”

The first child to receive a ROR book at South Philadelphia Pediatrics was London Cooper, an adorable 6-month-old girl. When London came to the office, Dr. DiNicola could see a wonderful bond developing between London and her mother, Ms. Aliya Mungin. At the visit, Ms. Mungin mentioned how she would cuddle up to London and they would watch TV together in bed. The thought to read to her baby had never occurred to this young, first-time, single mom, though it was clear to Dr. DiNicola how much she adored her baby. Dr. DiNicola immediately introduced London and her mom to Reach Out and Read. London’s mom now reads to her little girl daily. Says London’s mom, “London and I read together all the time now since Dr. DiNicola told us about how important reading was. We love getting these new books! It really makes a difference to my baby. London is so happy when she gets one of these nice new books. She loves holding them and turning the pages. I even went out to A.C. Moore and bought an unfinished bookshelf to store all her books. It’s unfinished, but I’m painting it!”

At South Philadelphia Pediatrics, four dedicated pediatricians and two tireless nurse practitioners speak to their patients about reading and the importance and effectiveness of early literacy. Their anticipatory guidance and modeling of reading skills is making an important difference in the lives of the South Philadelphia families they serve.

In addition, Dr. DiNicola and her colleagues are improving the literacy environments of their Cambodian, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Spanish-speaking families by offering them bilingual books. She says, “The first time I handed out a Cambodian book, I had a father wipe away some tears. At first I couldn’t understand his reaction, but he then thanked me graciously and said that it was the first time he had seen his native language in print since he had immigrated to the United States. The excitement in his eyes was unforgettable.

His 4-year-old child immediately began pointing at pictures in the book and giving both the English and Cambodian words for what he saw to his non-English speaking grandmother. For me, it was a very positive moment as a pediatrician.” According to Dr. DiNicola, “Our providers delight in giving ROR books to our young patients. It’s one of the best feelings in the world to see a child’s face light up at the sight of a book. We hope to keep our ROR program alive for years to come.”